A new “Nakayoshi Bench” has been installed along National Route 2 in Shimizu-cho since August〜
↑It’s set up facing the sidewalk so anyone can sit down freely〜. It can be surprisingly hard to find a place to rest when walking along Route 2, so having a bench where you can take a quick seat is really nice!
↑It’s near “芦屋ほぐし処 楽なる” and “つちや酒店,” and if you go a little farther west, you’ll also find “セルバ甲南山手.”
Here’s the map↓
The address is 9-5 Shimizu-cho, Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture.
↑It’s an adorable brown bench painted with pink and light blue accents.
↑On the left, it says “あいてますよ よかったらどうぞ” (“There’s room. Please sit if you’d like.”)
↑On the right, it says “おとなりどうぞ” (“Feel free to sit next to me”), with gentle words that feel comforting〜
↑This “Nakayoshi Bench” was installed by “るぴなす,” a child development support facility, as part of Ashiya City’s Community Welfare Plan, the “Wagamachi Bench Project”.
↑There are others around the city too, including inside the welfare center in Kuregawa-cho, along Chaya Sakura-dori, and at “Ikoi no Hiroba” in front of JR Ashiya Station〜
↑Next to the Nakayoshi Bench at the welfare center, there’s a photo panel of Habatan sitting on the bench. The benches are apparently installed with the hope that happiness will grow through interactions sparked by sitting together on a bench〜
You can read more about the “Wagamachi Bench Project” on the Ashiya City official website / Promotion of Community Welfare Activities. It also introduces other local welfare activities, so you might discover something new〜
